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Diaper Rash, help!

Hi!

I went home this afternoon and found that my 4-month old daughter's diaper rash got worse. We are using cloth diapers since she was 2-months old and this never happened. Do you have any suggestions on quick remedies for this condition?

I'm so sorry to hear that your baby has a diaper rash. I remember when that happened to my first baby. She was in cloth diapers, and I simply left her in it too long and she got a painful, red diaper rash. I worked really fast to do all I could to resolve that diaper rash. I switched to disposables after that, because they keep baby dryer.

One of the best things you can do is to let your baby's bottom air out for long periods of time. She is only 4 months, so not crawling yet, which makes this a bit easier. Just lay her on a blanket without a diaper and let her play for awhile. You can put a piece of plastic or vinyl (i.e. shower curtain) under the towel or blanket in case she wets, so it won't go through onto the floor.

If/when she wets, just change the blanket and use a damp, warm wash cloth to wipe the urine off of her skin. If she will lay on her tummy or sleep on her tummy, this is best. You can put a light blanket over her bottom and her legs if it is chilly, but it would be best to try to keep the room warm and just let the warm air heal her bottom.

If you want to breastfeed while her diaper is off, just over your lap with a thick towel while you feed. Expect that she will soil the towel. Alternatively, you could put a really loose diaper on her while you feed her. Sometimes I would put a loose cloth diaper on my baby while she was on the floor, but I found she healed fastest when I just let her bottom air out without a diaper.

Another thing that is soothing is to run warm air on her bottom. You can use a hair dryer, but be very, very sure that the hair dryer is far enough away that it will not burn her skin. The point is to dry the skin well, but not burn it. Place your hand on her bottom so that you know how warm the air is. Be sure to hold the hair dryer quite far from the skin. It's just a little warmth that is needed.

Here's a tip that not many know about. If you can get your hands on some raw milk - raw goat milk or raw cow milk and maybe even raw sheep's milk, then pat some raw milk onto the diaper rash and let it dry. Here's a video that shows how well this works:

Aloe Vera is very soothing to the skin and especially helps with burns. If you have an aloe vera plant on hand, then break off a piece of the plant and rub the aloe on the rash. I keep an aloe vera plant in my kitchen for when I burn myself.

If you find your daughter has a diaper rash often, it may be that her urine is quite acidic and the acid in the urine is burning her skin. Change your daughter's diaper very often - as soon as you notice it is damp. If your daughter is only being fed breastmilk, then your milk could be too acidic for her. If you change your diet and eat mostly alkaline foods (fresh fruits and vegetables) then your milk will change in acidity and she may do much better. If you have started your daughter on solids, then this could be contributing to the diaper rash, and I would encourage you to wait.

Please post back and let us know if you are able to do any of these things and how they work for you. I especially encourage you to try the raw milk and let us know how quickly the rash clears up.

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's nappy rash. I see you have already had some great advice from Kate above.

I just wanted to add that, if you are breastfeeding, you can express a little breastmilk and gently rub in onto the rash and then leave it to air dry. Breastmilk really does have amazing healing properties (the latest research shows that it contains regenerating stem cells) and can benefit most baby and toddler cuts, grazes and rashes.

In most cases, nappy rash is caused by wee and poo interacting. You may want to be extra sure you are cleaning all the poo off your daughter's bottom by using cotton wool and warm water (this is best when there is nappy rash) and again leaving her bottom to air dry.

You can also try using a barrier cream containing Zinc Oxide when she is completely dry to prevent further moisture troubling her skin. It's best to not use any talc as this can actually irritate a baby's skin in addition to it potentially causing problems with the baby breathing in the talc.

As Kate says, you may want to switch to a different type of nappy in particular a more absorbent nappy, at least whilst the nappy rash is clearing up.

Yes - breastmilk! Express some of your milk and rub it on the rash. I used to put drops of breastmilk into my baby's eyes when they would get pink eye (a cold virus that enters the eye). It would clear it right up. That was at the direction of my La Leche League leader 21 years ago.

I'm so thankful LJ mentioned this, and that there are studies proving the huge benefits of breastmilk as a healing agent for the body.

Thanks ladies! I remember introducing her to solids last weekend (when the nappy rash did not start yet). I made her eat applesauce. I will definitely try expressing breast milk and applying it on the area affected.

It is recommended by the WHO (World Health Organisation) that you feed your baby only breastmilk (i.e. no other liquids or food are necessary) for the first 6 months of life. Before 6 months, babies are not really developmentally ready to start eating food. They need to be able to sit up unsupported (which is an indication of their general development as well as their stomach muscles) and ideally be reaching out for food and able to grip onto small objects before they start solid food. Starting solid food before 6 months will also reduce the wonderful benefits of breastmilk. Is there a particular reason you started solid food early or did you just want to give your daughter a try of the apple sauce?

Especially in light of the affect it has had on her nappies, I would recommend waiting until your daughter is 6 months old until you introduce solids unless there is a particular medical reason you have been advised to start early.